Spring construction.



n. c. TRAVIS & 1. H. GAMBLE.

SPRING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 13. I915.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

D. C. TRAV|S & J. H. GAMBLE.

SPRING CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATIONFILED NOV. 13. 1915.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

DON CARLOS TRAVIS AND J H. GAMBLE, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS TO THE SIMMONS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, A CORPQRA- TION or wIscoNsIN.

SPRING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applieationfiled November 13, 1915. Serial No. 61,217.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DoN GARLos TRAVIS and JAMES H. GAMBLE, both citizens of the United States, residing in the city of Kenosha, county of Kenosha, and State of -Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spring constructions and refers more particularly to a coil spring bed construction,

though in its broader aspects the invention is not limited to a bed structure.

Among the salient objects of the inven tion are to provide a construction in which the upper border wire or marginal frame member is provided with independent bracing members; to-provide a construction of the character last referred to in which the spring tension brace members are connected to the upper and lower ends of the frame in such a way as to resiliently support the upper frame when the weight is brought directly on the edges of the border wire; to provide a construction in which the detachable hanger supports are secured to the lower edges of the frame and serve as supporting members when the bed spring is mounted on a metal bed and which can be removed when the spring is set on wooden slats.

' riveted to the corresponding end members 4 and 5. Between the side members there extends a plurality of cross brace members 6 having their opposite ends riveted to the side i embers 2 and 3. As shown in detail in Fig. 3, the cross brace members 6 which form the direct supports for the coil springs have a plurality of pairs of spaced notches 7 and 8, within which spaced portions of the various coil springs 1 are seated. Wire securing members 9 bind the springs to the cross members by looping down beneath the latter and above the upper edge of'the lower coil of the springs, to show which construction, the side frame member 2 is broken away in Fig. 2. The upper ends of the outer series of coils are secured to the upper border wire or marginal frame member 10 by means of tie wires 11, having loops extendingthrough the upper coil 13 of the springs and then return bent to provide a loop 14, which looks around the border wire or other marginal frame member 10.

. It is necessary, however, to provide means for preventing the lateral displacement of the upper ends of the remaining coil springs and for this purpose a plurality of tie plates 15, stamped out of fiat metal, are employed. The novel construction and manner of securing these tie plates form an important feature of our invention, and the latter is therefore limited to the detailed construction shown, which is as follows:

Extending from the central portion of each tie plate .15, is a plurality of wings, apertured at 16' and through which apertures there extends one end loop of a small coil spring 17, while the opposite end of this spring is looped over the upper coil of one of the main coil springs 1. In the bed construction shown there are four of these coil springs for each plate, although it is obvious that a different number might be employed. This novel arrangement of tie plate and spring serves to hold the individual coils from any material lateral displacement while the resultant connection permits of such movement as is necessary to avoid interference with the resiliency of the spring construction as an entity. Moreover, the mounting of the tie plates is such that they lie substantially in the plane of the upper coil of the main coil springs, thus providing additional supporting surfaces for the mattress.

Where the coils are of considerable depth,

the central portions of the springs are preferably provided with intermediate bracing means. In the present case this comprises the marginal border wire 18 connected endwise by a plurality of wires 19 and crosswise by a plurality of metal straps 20. At I the intersection of the wires 19 and the straps 20 the latter are twisted to provide ofiset portions 21 which fit into depressions fixed relation without interference with the resiliency of the coil springs since one of the main objects of the invention is to provide an improved means for preventing relative lateral displacement of the coils without in any way interfering with the resiliencyof the device.

This same object is also attained and the upper marginal frame supported and held from a tendency to bulge by an auxiliary support for the upper marginal frame, the support being formed as follows: Extending upwardly and diagonally inward from the side frames 2 and '3 is a pair of relatively broad strap members 23 and 24, which are apertured at 25 and 26 respectively, to receive the end loops 27 and 28 of the coil springs 29 and 30. These springs are relatively heavy and at their opposite ends are connected to return bent loops 31 and 32 formed in the ends of the auxiliary supporting members 33 and 34:- The sides 35 and 36 of the supporting member digress outwardly so that they are secured to the upper marginal member 10 at points spaced from each other, a considerable distance. It will be noticed that this auxiliary securing device as a whole comprises diagonally extending members, which project in opposite directions and have their. free ends connected by a coil spring. Therefore, when pressure is applied to the upper marginal member tending to'press it downward it can only move by tensioning one of the springs 29 or 30, which spring exerts a pull toward the center, thus also preventing bulging or spreading of the upper marginal portion of the spring.

For supporting the spring construction' upon the bed frame, hang-er members 37 are employed. These hanger members comprise angle irons 37 riveted to strap-like bracket members 38, the lower ends of which are return bent to form hook-shaped extensions 39 fitting over the side frame members 2 and 3 respectively. The employment of these loops provides detachable hanger supports generally employed with wooden beds.

It" willbe noticed that no place above their lower coils are the various coil springs connected together in such a manner as will interfere with the normal resiliency of the spring, while the tie plate connection having the small coil springs has a further advantage in that it tends to make the spring construction noiseless in operation. Moreover, the structure is one which can be economically manufactured and assembled and which possesses a maximum degree of strength while at the same time maintaining the necessary resiliency. It is obvious that various changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts can be made within the scope of our invention and therefore we do not desire to limit the invention except as specified in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a spring construction, the combination with a lower supporting marginal frame, an upper marginal frame a plurality of coiled springs extending between said frames and secured thereto and a spring tension brace comprising a" strap member secured to the marginal edge of the lower frame and extending diagonally inwardly and upwardly, a V-shaped wire member having its free end secured to the upper marginal frame and extending inwardly and downwardly and a coiled spring connecting ghe inner ends of said strap and wire mem- 2. In a spring construction, the combination with a lower marginal supporting frame, ofan upper marginal frame, a plurality of coiled springs extending between said frames and secured thereto and a spring tension member having an arm secured to the marginal edge of one of said frame members and extending diagonally inwardly therefrom, a V-shaped arm secured tothe marginal edge of the upper frame member and extending diagonally inwardly therefrom, said arms being resiliently connected at their inner ends.

DON CARLOS TRAVIS.

JAMES H. GAMBLE. 

